Dear Members of the SUNY Oswego Community-
It is with mixed emotions that I share some personnel-related news with you all: Mary Canale, our esteemed vice president for university advancement, will retire on Dec. 31, 2024, after 28 years of unwavering dedication and service to the university.
Mary first joined the Laker family as an undergraduate psychology major. She joined the staff in 1996 as coordinator of the Oswego State Fall Classic, and the following year, became assistant director of development. In 2002, she instituted the major gifts program. From 2007 to 2016, she served as associate vice president for development. In 2016, she was named vice president for university advancement and president of the Oswego University Foundation.
Last summer, following the announcement of my appointment as your president, Mary visited me in New York City to share her plans to retire. I was very moved by her candor and grace. During our many travels throughout the country to visit alumni and donors, Mary’s easy rapport with Lakers from all backgrounds was so very impressive.
Indeed, Mary’s warmth, enthusiasm and boundless energy enabled her to connect with our 94,000 alumni and helped her garner their support to advance the university’s strategic priorities. She has been an instrumental member of the university’s leadership team. In my nine months as your president, I have relied on Mary’s exceptional skills, insight and judgment, so much so that I asked her to serve as co-chair of the Presidential Inauguration Committee.
Mary’s leadership was integral to the success of the university’s comprehensive fundraising campaigns as well as the Path Forward, Possibility, Marano, the current Transforming Lives scholarship programs, the naming of the Marano Campus Center in 2014, Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall in 2021, James A. Triandiflou Institute for Equity, Diversity and Transformative Practice in 2022, and the School of Education’s Frank and Gloria Maraviglia Atrium in 2024. She also oversaw the expansion of the alumni and development areas to include career services.
As the university’s principal fundraiser, she has helped to achieve unprecedented growth in the school’s endowment, which consistently shows stronger returns than peers. Under her leadership, the endowment has more than doubled from $29.5 million in 2016 to $70 million today. In today’s tumultuous investment environment, Mary’s success in growing the endowment is a testament to her tenacity and wisdom.
We will begin the task of searching for a new vice president for university advancement in the coming months, and we are working with RPA, Inc., a national firm with expertise in higher education, to help recruit candidates for this pivotal role. RPA, Inc. will host a series of listening sessions the weeks of June 3, 2024, and June 10, 2024, to hear perspectives from campus community on this important leadership position. Additionally, if you know of any candidates who may be interested in this position, please share the posted announcement when it becomes available.
I have also convened a search committee, which will be co-chaired by Vice President for Administration and Finance Victoria Cafalone Furlong '08 M'10 and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dr. Kristin Croyle. The committee will be composed of members of the campus community as well as a member from both the Alumni Association and University Foundation. The search is expected to take approximately six months, and we hope to seat a new vice president by Jan. 1, 2025.
Please join me in celebrating Mary’s remarkable tenure, expressing our appreciation for her exceptional service to SUNY Oswego, and wishing her well on her next adventure. Though she may be retiring from her official role, her impact on our campus will resonate for decades to come.
Remain well,
Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.
President